Tattooed Courtesan at The British Museum, London

The woman may be an elderly heraira whose tattoed body may indicate that she comes from Thrace. She may be intended as a caricature of a statue of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. To the ancient Greek viewer she would symbolise how a woman ought not to appear, ugly and overweight.

In ancient Greece, hetairai were courtesans—educated, sophisticated female companions. Although most of them engaged in sexual relations with their patrons, hetairai were not simple prostitutes.

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.